United States · United States Congress · 29 July 2005
Healthcare Equality and Accountability Act - FamilyCare Act of 2005 - Renames title XXI (State Children's Health Insurance Program) (SCHIP) of the Social Security Act as the FamilyCare Program and extends coverage to certain low-income adults. Establishes the National Commission for Expanded Access to Health Care. Amends the Public Health Service Act to provide limited English proficient individuals with improved access to health care, including by establishing the Center for Cultural and Linguistic Competence in Healthcare. Provides for activities regarding: (1) health workforce diversity; (2) disparities in health and health care experienced by indigenous, racial, and ethnic minorities; and (3) data collection, analysis, and reporting by race, ethnicity, and primary language. Requires the Secretary of Health and Human Services to establish: (1) the Office of Health Disparities within the Office of Civil Rights to prevent discrimination in federal programs; and (2) the Office of Minority Affairs within the Office of the Commissioner of Food and Drugs. Restablishes the Indian Health Service as an agency of the Public Health Service to be administered by an Assistant Secretary of Indian Health. Minority Health and Genomics Act of 2005 - Establishes the Minority Health and Genomics Commission to study issues relating to genomics research as applied to minority groups. Establishes the Interagency Working Group on Environmental Justice and the Federal Environmental Justice Advisory Committee. Sets forth programs designed to improve the quality of and access to health care for minorities, including by establishing the Health Safety Net Infrastructure Trust Fund. Requires the Secretary to establish: (1) the Annie Dodge Wauneka and Susan Laflesche-Picotte Native American Health and Wellness Foundation; and (2) a Joint Working Group on Telehealth. Authorizes integrative eldercare, American Indian and Alaska Native, and oral health telehealth demonstration projects.
United States · United States Congress · 29 July 2005
Veterans Comprehensive Hepatitis C Health Care Act - Directs the Secretary of Veterans Affairs, during the first year after the enactment of this Act, to provide a blood test for the Hepatitis C virus to: (1) each veteran who served on active military duty during the Vietnam era, or who is considered to be "at risk," and who is enrolled to receive veterans' medical care and requests such test or is otherwise receiving a physical examination or any other care or treatment from the Secretary; and (2) any other veteran who requests such test. Requires the Secretary, after such period, to provide such test to any veteran who requests it. Requires the Secretary to provide followup tests and appropriate treatment for any veteran who tests positive. Prohibits a copayment from being charged for such treatment. Provides funding for the Department of Veterans Affairs for Hepatitis C detection and treatment programs, beginning with FY2006. Directs the Secretary to: (1) develop and implement a standardized Department policy with respect to such virus; and (2) annually take appropriate outreach actions to notify untested veterans. Directs the Secretary to establish at least one, and no more than three, additional Hepatitis C centers of excellence within the Department health care network. Provides funding.
United States · United States Congress · 29 July 2005
Nurse Faculty Education Act of 2005 - Amends the Public Health Service Act to direct the Secretary of Health and Human Services, acting through the Health Resources and Services Administration, to establish a Nurse Faculty Education Program to ensure an adequate supply of nurse faculty through the awarding of grants to eligible entities to: (1) provide support for hiring new faculty, retaining existing faculty, and purchasing educational resources; (2) provide for increasing enrollment and graduation rates for students from doctoral programs; and (3) assist graduates in serving as nurse faculty in nursing schools. Sets forth provisions regarding eligibility requirements and permissible uses of grant funds. Directs the Secretary to give priority to entities from states and territories that have a lower number of employed nurses per 100,000 population. Directs the Secretary to award specified numbers and amounts of grants for FY2006-FY2010, subject to specified limitations. Directs: (1) the Secretary to evaluate and report to Congress on the results of activities carried out under such grants; and (2) the Comptroller General to study and report to Congress concerning activities to increase participation in the nurse educator program.
United States · United States Congress · 29 July 2005
Amends the Farm Security and Rural Investment Act of 2002 with respect to the senior farmers' market nutrition program to: (1) increase program funding; (2) expand the program to include locally produced farm products as deemed appropriate by the Secretary of Agriculture; and (3) permit up to ten percent of program funds to be used for administrative costs.
United States · United States Congress · 29 July 2005
Affordability in Medicare Premiums Act of 2005 - Directs the Secretary of Health and Human Services, for each year beginning with 2006, to reduce the monthly Medicare part B (Supplementary Medical Insurance) premium rate for each month in the year for individuals not enrolled in a Medicare Advantage plan so that the aggregate amount of such reductions in the year equals an amount computed according to a specified formula involving reduced payments to Medicare Advantage organizations. Requires the Secretary, in applying risk adjustment factors to payments to Medicare Advantage organizations, to ensure that such payments are adjusted to reflect the enrollee's health status, including adjusting for the difference between the health status of the enrollee and individuals enrolled under the original Medicare fee-for-service program under Medicare parts A (Hospital Insurance) and B. Requires payments to such organizations, in the aggregate, to reflect such differences. Eliminates the MA Regional Plan Stabilization Fund (Slush Fund).
United States · United States Congress · 29 July 2005
Designates the month of November 2005 as the Month of Global Health. Reaffirms the Senate's commitment to ensuring that children around the world receive the interventions necessary for survival as an integral component of efforts to improve global health.
United States · United States Congress · 29 July 2005
Designates September 2005 as National Prostate Cancer Awareness Month. Declares that it is critical to: (1) raise awareness about prostate cancer screening and treatment; (2) increase funding for prostate cancer research; and (3) improve access to and the quality of health care services for detecting and treating prostate cancer.
United States · United States Congress · 29 July 2005
Observes and celebrates the 40th anniversary of the enactment of the Voting Rights Act of 1965. Reaffirms the Senate's commitment to advancing the legacy of the Voting Rights Act of 1965 to ensure the continued effectiveness of the Act in protecting the voting rights of all citizens of the United States. Encourages the people of the United States to celebrate the 40th anniversary of the Voting Rights Act of 1965.
United States · United States Congress · 29 July 2005
Encourages expanded efforts to alleviate hunger in developing countries, and pledges to support international hunger relief efforts. Expresses the sense of the Senate that: (1) the United States should use financial and diplomatic resources to work with other donors to ensure that food aid programs receive all necessary funding and supplies; and (2) food aid should be provided in conjunction with measures to alleviate hunger, malnutrition, and poverty.
United States · United States Congress · 29 July 2005
Expresses the sense of Congress that: (1) for the past 40 years, Medicare has made significant medical, social, and economic contributions to our Nation; (2) the access to care provided by Medicare has changed the course of health outcomes for the elderly and those with disabilities preventing phsical deterioration and preventing more individuals from slipping into poverty; and (3) Congress must continue to support, strengthen, and enhance the quality of care in this vital federal health insurance program that guarantees all Medicare beneficiaries affordable health care that meets their needs.
United States · United States Congress · 29 July 2005
Expresses the sense of Congress that: (1) over the past four decades Medicaid has been a core component of the American health system; (2) Medicaid has ensured that the vast majority of Medicaid beneficiaries did not join the ranks of the current 45 million Americans with no health insurance; and (3) Congress must continue and strengthen the state-federal partnership that provides this vital health insurance program.
United States · United States Congress · 28 July 2005
Keeping Seniors Safe From Falls Act of 2005 - Amends the Public Health Service Act to require the Secretary of Health and Human Services to: (1) oversee and support a national education campaign focusing on reducing falls among older adults and preventing repeat falls; and (2) award grants to design and carry out local education campaigns. Directs the Secretary to conduct and support research to: (1) improve the identification of older adults who have a high risk of falling; (2) improve data collection and analysis to identify fall risk and protective factors; (3) design, implement, and evaluate the most effective fall prevention interventions; (4) tailor effective strategies to reduce falls to specific populations of older adults; (5) maximize the dissemination of proven, effective fall prevention interventions; (6) improve the diagnosis, treatment, and rehabilitation of elderly fall victims; and (7) assess the risks of falls occurring in various settings. Requires the Secretary to: (1) conduct research and develop, implement, and evaluate the most effective approaches to reduce falls among high-risk older adults living in long-term care facilities; (2) evaluate the effectiveness of community programs; (3) provide professional education for physicians and allied health professionals in fall prevention; (4) oversee and support specified demonstration and research projects; (5) award grants to design, implement, and evaluate fall prevention programs using proven intervention strategies and carry out a multistate demonstration project; and (6) report to Congress on the effects of falls on health care costs, the potential for reducing falls, and the most effective strategies for reducing associated health care costs.
United States · United States Congress · 28 July 2005
Safe and Secure Food Act of 2005 - Amends the Federal Meat Inspection Act, the Poultry Products Inspection Act, the Egg Products Inspection Act, and the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act to direct the Secretary of Agriculture (Secretary) to promulgate regulations that require persons to implement procedures to prevent both unintentional and intentional contamination of meat and meat products, poultry and poultry products, eggs and egg products, and food at establishments covered by such Acts. Directs the Secretary, in consultation with the Secretary of Health and Human Services, to initiate a food security inspector training program. Amends the Federal Meat Inspection Act, the Poultry Products Inspection Act, and the Egg Products Inspection Act to: (1) require a person, other than a household consumer, who has reason to believe meat, poultry, eggs, or food products to be adulterated or misbranded to so notify the Secretary; (2) provide the Secretary with authority for voluntary and mandatory nondistribution and recall, withdrawal of inspectors from violating facilities, and civil penalties; and (3) bring related criminal penalties under the provisions of federal criminal law. Amends the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act to: (1) require a person, other than a household consumer or other individual who is the intended food consumer, who has reason to believe that any food in interstate commerce, or held for sale after shipment in interstate commerce, may be in violation of such Act to so notify the Secretary; and (2) provide the Secretary with authority for voluntary and mandatory nondistribution and recall, withdrawal of inspectors from violating facilities, and civil penalties. Requires a foreign facility or foreign government that submits a registration to import food to the United States to request certification (valid for up to five years) from the Secretary that food produced under its the supervision meets food safety, inspection, labeling, and consumer protection standards that are at least equivalent to U.S. standards. Authorizes the Secretary to withdraw certification of any food from a foreign government or foreign facility if: (1) such food is linked to an outbreak of human illness; (2) the Secretary finds that the programs and procedures are no longer equivalent to U.S. programs and procedures; or (3) there is a refusal to allow U. S. officials to conduct appropriate audits and investigations. Requires the Secretary of Health and Human Services to assess and report on U.S. food supply security.
United States · United States Congress · 28 July 2005
Amends the Nursing Relief for Disadvantaged Areas Act of 1999 to extend the H-1C visa program for nonimmigrant registered nurses working in health professional shortage areas through September 30, 2008.
United States · United States Congress · 28 July 2005
Medical Malpractice Insurance Antitrust Act of 2005 - Provides that: (1) nothing in the McCarran-Ferguson Act shall be construed to permit commercial insurers to engage in any form of price fixing, bid rigging, or market allocations in connection with the conduct of the business of providing medical malpractice insurance; and (2) such provision shall not apply to the information gathering and rate setting activities of any state insurance commissions or any other state regulatory body with authority to set insurance rates.
United States · United States Congress · 28 July 2005
Vaccine Access and Supply Act - Amends the Public Health Service Act to require the Secretary of Health and Human Services to: (1) negotiate with producers of the influenza vaccine and other periodic-change vaccines to reach an agreement on the number of doses of the vaccine that each producer will manufacturer for the season; (2) purchase 50% of such a manufacturer's doses that are unsold for the season for the average sales price; and (3) establish a program for the distribution of qualified adult vaccine through states for providers to administer to eligible adults without charge to the state, providers, or eligible adults. Requires each manufacturer or distributor of an approved vaccine to provide the Secretary with the location of vaccine supplies if the Secretary declares there is a shortage of the vaccine that constitutes a public health emergency. Requires the Secretary to develop: (1) a response to potential vaccine supply shortages; and (2) a program to promote immunizations with federally recommended vaccines among the adult population. Requires a manufacturer of an approved vaccine to notify the Secretary 12 months prior to discontinuing manufacture of the vaccine, with exceptions. Requires the Secretary to submit a plan to Congress to facilitate the participation of manufacturers in maintaining a six-month supply of pediatric vaccines. Amends Title XIX (Medicaid) of the Social Security Act to prohibit a provider from imposing a copayment, cost sharing charge, or similar charge for administering to an eligible individual a vaccine that is included on the recommended vaccine schedule for adults.
United States · United States Congress · 28 July 2005
Designates September 2005 as National Prostate Cancer Awareness Month. Declares that it is critical to: (1) raise awareness about prostate cancer screening and treatment; (2) increase funding for prostate cancer research; and (3) improve access to and the quality of health care services for detecting and treating prostate cancer.
United States · United States Congress · 28 July 2005
Designates March 8, 2006, as Endangered Species Day. Encourages: (1) educational entities to spend at least 30 minutes on such Day teaching students about threats to, and the restoration of, endangered species; and (2) organizations, businesses, and agencies with an interest in conserving endangered species to collaborate on educational information for use in schools.
United States · United States Congress · 27 July 2005
Human Cloning Ban Act of 2005 - Prohibits any person or private or public legal entity from: (1) conducting or attempting to conduct human cloning; (2) shipping the product of nuclear transplantation in interstate or foreign commerce for the purpose of human cloning; or (3) exporting to a foreign country an unfertilized blastocyst if such country does not prohibit human cloning. Sets forth criminal and civil penalties for violations.
United States · United States Congress · 27 July 2005
Passenger Rail Investment and Improvement Act of 2005 - Authorizes appropriations for FY2006-FY2011 for: (1) Amtrak capital and operating grants, including state capital grants; (2) the Federal Railroad Administration; (3) Amtrak repayment of long-term debt and capital leases; (4) excess Amtrak railroad retirement payments to the Railroad Retirement Account; (5) the rail cooperative research program; and (6) grants to Amtrak and states participating in the Next Generation Corridor Train Equipment Pool Committee. Amends federal transportation law to make certain Amtrak reforms and operational improvements, including: (1) state funding of Amtrak rail routes; (2) establishment of improved financial accounting system; (3) development of a five-year financial plan; (4) improvement of passenger train performance; (5) establishment of an alternative passenger rail service program; (6) employee transition assistance; and (7) development of a Northeast Corridor state-of-good-repair plan. Authorizes the Secretary of Transportation to make grants to an applicant state, Interstate Compact, or public agency to assist in financing the capital costs of facilities and equipment necessary to provide intercity passenger rail transportation. Establishes: (1) a Next Generation Corridor Equipment Pool Committee; and (2) a rail cooperative research program. Authorizes the Secretary of Homeland Security to make grants to Amtrak for certain systemwide security upgrades. Authorizes the Secretary of Transportation to make grants to Amtrak for fire and life-safety improvements and infrastructure upgrades to tunnels on the Northeast Corridor. Directs Amtrak to submit to the National Transportation Safety Board a plan to address the needs of families of passengers involved in rail passenger accidents. Requires the Secretary of Transportation to report to Congress an assessment of the current system for preclearance and screening of rail and airline passengers and baggage, as well as freight railroad traffic, between the United States and Canada. Allows a tax credit to holders of rail infrastructure (intercity rail facility) bonds issued by a state, interstate compact, or Amtrak to finance or refinance certain rail improvement projects.
United States · United States Congress · 27 July 2005
Senate Campaign Disclosure Parity Act - Amends the Federal Election Campaign Act of 1971 to require Senate candidates to file election-related designations, statements, and reports in electronic form. Requires the Secretary of the Senate to forward a copy of any electronically filed designation, statement, or report to the Federal Election Commission within one working day (instead of the current two working days) after receiving it.
United States · United States Congress · 27 July 2005
Calls for the Citizens' Stamp Advisory Committee to recommend, and the United States Postal Service to issue, a commemorative postage stamp to promote public awareness of Down syndrome.
United States · United States Congress · 26 July 2005
Family Asthma Act - Amends the Public Health Service Act to authorize the Secretary of Health and Human Services, acting through the Director of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), to award grants to eligible entities to conduct pilot projects to prevent and control asthma symptoms and to reduce asthma attacks in families. Requires the Secretary to give: (1) priority to entities that serve a medically underserved population; and (2) consideration to an adequate rural-urban distribution, so as to gain better information about asthma at the national level. Authorizes additional appropriations to the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute to develop a National Asthma Action Plan and to fund a report to Congress by the National Asthma Education and Prevention Program. Requires the Secretary, acting through the Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), to: (1) collaborate with state and local health departments to conduct activities to inform and educate the public regarding asthma; (2) conduct asthma surveillance activities to collect data on the prevalence and severity of asthma, the effectiveness of public heath asthma intervention, and the quality of asthma management; and (3) compile and annually publish asthma data. Requires the Director of the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences to establish Dr. Irving J. Selikoff individual and institutional training grants for education and training of health care providers on the role of environmental factors in the development and prevention of asthma and recurrent asthma attacks.
United States · United States Congress · 25 July 2005
Recognizes and honors the 15th anniversary of the enactment of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 and salutes all people whose efforts contributed to its enactment. Encourages all Americans to celebrate the advance of freedom and the opening of opportunity made possible by its enactment.
United States · United States Congress · 21 July 2005
Darfur Peace and Accountability Act of 2005 - Sets forth the sense of Congress with respect to the situation in Darfur, Sudan, including the sense of Congress that the atrocities unfolding in Darfur are genocide. Amends the Comprehensive Peace in Sudan Act of 2004 to direct the President, with waiver authority including congressional notification, to block the assets and deny visas and entry to any individual (and family member) responsible for acts of genocide, war crimes, or crimes against humanity in Sudan. Authorizes the President to provide assistance to reinforce the deployment and operations of an expanded African Union Mission in Sudan (AMIS). Directs the President to instruct the U.S. Permanent Representative to the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) to advocate NATO reinforcement of AMIS, upon request of the African Union. Directs the President to deny the government of Sudan access to oil revenues, including by prohibiting U.S. entry to cargo ships or oil tankers engaged in the oil sector of Sudan or involved in the shipment of goods for use by the armed forces of Sudan in order to ensure that the government of Sudan does not utilize any oil revenues to acquire offensive military equipment or to finance offensive military activities. (Exempts from such restriction ships or tankers involved in an internationally-recognized demobilization program or the shipment of non-lethal assistance necessary to carry the Comprehensive Peace Agreement for Sudan.) Prohibits, with waiver authority, U.S. assistance to a country in violation of U.N. Security Council Resolutions 1556 and 1591(embargo on military assistance to Sudan). Directs the President to instruct the U.S. Permanent Representative to the United Nations to urge the adoption of a Security Council resolution supporting AMIS' expansion.
United States · United States Congress · 21 July 2005
Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder Treatment Improvement Act - Directs the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to: (1) establish a post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) clinical team at every medical center of the Department of Veterans Affairs; (2) provide a certified family therapist for each Vet Center of the Department; and (3) appoint a PTSD coordinator within each Veterans Integrated Service Network and each Readjustment Counseling Service Region. Outlines duties of PTSD coordinators. Allows the Secretary to waive any requirement of this Act after congressional notification.
United States · United States Congress · 21 July 2005
Pulmonary and Cardiac Rehabilitation Act of 2005 - Amends title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act to provide for coverage of items and services furnished under a cardiac rehabilitation or a pulmonary rehabilitation program.
United States · United States Congress · 21 July 2005
Coordinated Environmental Health Network Act of 2005 - Amends the Public Health Service Act to require the Secretary of Health and Human Services, acting through the Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), to establish and operate the Coordinated Environmental Health Network. Directs the Secretary, in establishing and operating the Network, to:: (1) expand and coordinate among existing data and surveillance systems, surveys, registries, and other federal public health and environmental infrastructure; (2) provide for public access to an electronic national database on priority chronic conditions and relevant environmental and other factors; (3) operate a National Environmental Health Rapid Response Service to develop strategies to respond to and investigate higher than expected incidence and prevalence rates of priority chronic conditions and environmental exposures; (4) award grants for the establishment and operation of State Environmental Health Networks; (5) develop minimum standards and procedures for data collection and reporting for State Networks; (6) enter into a cooperative agreement with the Council of State and Territorial Epidemiologists to train and place applied epidemiology fellows in state and local health departments; and (7) enter into cooperative agreements for the establishment and operation of regional biomonitoring laboratories. Requires the Secretary to: (1) establish an Advisory Committee for the Network; (2) award John H. Chafee Public Health Scholarships to eligible students enrolled in an accredited school of public health or medicine; and (3) expand the scope and amount of biomonitoring data collected by CDC on environmental exposures. Allows the Secretary to award grants to accredited schools or programs of public heath to establish and operate Centers of Excellence for research and demonstration with respect to chronic conditions and relevant environmental factors.
United States · United States Congress · 20 July 2005
Improving Access to Education for Students Who Are Homeless or in Foster Care Act - Amends the Higher Education Act of 1965 (HEA) to include as independent students, for purposes of student financial assistance need analysis, students who: (1) are (or were until age 18) in foster care; or (2) are homeless and unaccompanied. Revises the dependency override process, and applications for independence determinations for students in special circumstances. Includes students who are homeless or in foster care as eligible for certain HEA early outreach and student services programs. Directs the Secretary of Education to award grants, contracts, and cooperative agreements, to partnerships of specified entities, for demonstration projects for highly mobile students to increase their secondary school success and graduation rate and their higher education enrollment and success.
United States · United States Congress · 19 July 2005
Fallen Heroes of 9/11 Act - Authorizes the President to award a medal to be known as the "Fallen Heroes of 9/11 Congressional Medal," to the personal representative or next of kin of individuals killed as a result of the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, in recognition of their sacrifice and to honor their deaths. Instructs the Secretary of the Treasury to strike three medals, to be representative of and in honor of, respectively: (1) victims of the attack at the World Trade Center, including civilians, public safety officers, emergency workers, and hijack victims; (2) victims aboard United Airlines Flight 93 that crashed in Pennsylvania; and (3) victims at the Pentagon, including the hijack victims. Declares eligible for such medal any individual who died on or after September 11, 2001, as a direct result of that act of terrorism within the United States. States the medals are national medals.
United States · United States Congress · 19 July 2005
Designates September 14, 2005, as National Attention Deficit Disorder Awareness Day. Recognizes Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (AD/HD) as a major public health concern. Encourages people to find out more about AD/HD and supporting mental health services and to seek treatment and support. Expresses the sense of the Senate that the federal government has a responsibility to: (1) raise public awareness about AD/HD; and (2) consider ways to improve mental health services for children and adults with AD/HD.
United States · United States Congress · 18 July 2005
Wired for Health Care Quality Act - Amends the Public Health Service Act to establish the Office of the National Coordinator of Health Information Technology to develop a nationwide interoperable health information technology infrastructure. Requires the Secretary of Health and Human Services to: (1) establish the public-private American Health Information Collaborative to recommend uniform policies to support the widespread adoption of health information technology; and (2) adopt recommended modifications to standards for the electronic exchange of health information. Prohibits any federal agency from expending federal funds to purchase health information technology that is inconsistent with adopted standards and requires all federal agencies collecting health data to comply with such standards. Requires the Secretary to develop criteria to: (1) ensure uniform and consistent implementation of any standards voluntarily adopted by private entities; and (2) ensure and certify hardware, software, and support services compliance with adopted standards. Allows the Secretary to award grants to: (1) facilitate the purchase and enhance the utilization of qualified health information technology systems; (2) implement regional or local health information plans; and (3) develop academic programs integrating qualified health information technology systems in the clinical education of health professionals. Requires the heads of specified federal agencies to develop a system to measure the quality of care patients receive. Requires the Secretary to: (1) adopt and utilize such system; (2) disseminate recommendations and best practices derived from the analysis of quality measures; and (3) study methods to create efficient reimbursement incentives for improving health care quality. Requires the Secretary, acting through the Director of the Agency for Healthcare Quality and Research (AHRQ), to develop a Center for Best Practices to provide technical assistance and develop best practices to support and accelerate efforts to adopt, implement, and effectively use interoperable health information technology. Reauthorizes appropriations for grants to reduce statutory and regulatory barriers to telemedicine.
United States · United States Congress · 18 July 2005
Declares August 31, 2005, to be Solidarity Day in the United States to recognize the 25th anniversary of the establishment in Poland of the Solidarity Trade Union. Honors the people of Poland who risked their lives to restore liberty in Poland and to return Poland to the democratic community of nations. Calls on the people of the United States to remember the struggle and sacrifice of the people of Poland and that the results of that struggle contributed to the fall of communism and the ultimate end of the Cold War.
United States · United States Congress · 14 July 2005
Asian Carp Prevention and Control Act - Amends the Lacey Act to add specified species of black, bighead, and silver carp to the list of injurious species that are prohibited from being shipped or imported into the United States.
United States · United States Congress · 14 July 2005
Preserving Patient Access to Inpatient Rehabilitation Hospitals Act of 2005 - Prohibits the Secretary of Health and Human Services, during the period between July 1, 2005, and the date two years after the enactment of this Act, from: (1) requiring a compliance rate, pursuant to the criterion (commonly known as the "75 percent rule") used to determine whether a hospital or hospital unit is an inpatient rehabilitation facility, that is greater than the 50 percent compliance threshold that became effective on July 1, 2004; (2) changing the designation of any inpatient rehabilitation facility in compliance with the 50 percent threshold; or (3) conducting medical necessity review of inpatient rehabilitation facilities using any guidelines other than the national criteria established in the Medicare Benefits Policy Manual. Directs the Secretary to establish procedures for: (1) making any necessary retroactive adjustment to restore the status of a facility as an inpatient rehabilitation facility as a result of this Act; (2) making any necessary payments to inpatient rehabilitation facilities based on such adjustment for discharges occurring on or after July 1, 2005, and before enactment of this Act; and (3) developing and implementing an appeals process that provides for expedited review of any adjustment to the status of a facility as an inpatient rehabilitation facility made during such period Directs the Secretary to establish the National Advisory Council on Medical Rehabilitation to provide advice and recommendations to: (1) Congress and the Secretary concerning the coverage of rehabilitation services under title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act; and (2) appropriate federal agencies on how best to utilize available research funds and authorities focused on medical rehabilitation research.
United States · United States Congress · 11 July 2005
Declares that the Senate has heard with profound sorrow and deep regret the announcement of the death of the Honorable Gaylord A. Nelson, a former member of the United States Senate from Wisconsin. Declares that when the Senate adjourns on July 11, 2005, it stand adjourned as a further mark of respect to the memory of Senator Nelson.
United States · United States Congress · 11 July 2005
Declares that the Senate: (1) expresses deepest sympathies and condolences to the people of the United Kingdom and the victims and their families for the heinous terrorist attacks that occurred in London on July 7, 2005; (2) condemns these barbaric and unwarranted attacks on the innocent people of London; (3) expresses strong and continued solidarity with the people of the United Kingdom and pledges to remain shoulder-to-shoulder with them to bring the terrorists responsible for these brutal attacks to justice; and (4) calls upon the international community to renew and strengthen efforts to defeat terrorists by dismantling terrorist networks and exposing the violent and nihilistic ideology of terrorism, increase international cooperation to advance personal and religious freedoms, ethnic and racial tolerance, political liberty and pluralism, and economic prosperity, and combat the social injustice, oppression, poverty, and extremism that breeds terrorism.
United States · United States Congress · 1 July 2005
Expresses the sense of the Senate: (1) that the weekend of July 15-July 17, 2005, should be designated as a National Weekend of Prayer and Reflection for the people of Darfur, Sudan; and (2) urging U.S. churches, synagogues, mosques, and religious institutions to consider the people of Darfur in their activities and to observe the National Weekend of Prayer and Reflection with appropriate activities and services.
United States · United States Congress · 30 June 2005
Cold War Medal Act of 2005 - Directs the Secretary of the military department concerned, upon application, to issue Cold War service medals to military personnel who served honorably during the Cold War era (September 2, 1945, through December 26, 1991).
United States · United States Congress · 30 June 2005
Community Health Center Volunteer Provider Protection Act of 2005 - Amends the Public Health Service Act to deem volunteer practitioners at health centers as employees of the Public Health Service for purposes of any civil action that may arise due to providing services to patients at such health centers. Defines "volunteer practitioner" as a licensed physician who: (1) at the request of the entity, provides services to patients of a public or nonprofit entity receiving Federal funds for serving medically underserved areas; (2) provides such service at a site at which the entity operates or at a site designated by the entity; and (3) does not receive any compensation for the provision of services. Requires the Comptroller General to study the adequacy of funding for liability coverage for: (1) public or nonprofit private entities receiving federal funds for health centers; and (2) volunteer practitioners serving such centers.
United States · United States Congress · 30 June 2005
Restore Scientific Integrity to Federal Research and Policymaking Act - Prohibits a federal employee from engaging in: (1) tampering with the conduct of federally funded scientific research or analysis; (2) censorship of findings of such research or analysis; or (3) directing the dissemination of scientific information known by the directing employee to be false or misleading. Sets forth a penalty for violations of such prohibition. Includes under prohibited personnel practices the taking or failing to take, or threatening to take or failing to take, a personnel action with respect to any employee because of: (1) the development or dissemination, within the scope of employment, of scientific research or analysis that the employee reasonably believes to be accurate and valid; (2) any disclosure of information by an employee or applicant which the employee or applicant reasonably believes evidences an abuse of authority, including but not limited to, tampering with the conduct of federally funded scientific research or analysis, censoring the findings of such research or analysis, or directing the dissemination of scientific information known by the directing employee to be false or misleading. Sets forth requirements relating to federal scientific advisory committees. States that all appointments to such committees shall be made without regard to political affiliation, unless required by federal statute. Directs each federal agency to determine a peer review process that is appropriate for the agency's functions and needs. Prohibits "The Information Quality Bulletin for Peer Review", issued on December 16, 2004, from applying to any agency that has established its own peer review process. Prohibits the Office of Management and Budget from taking any action to discourage an agency from determining and establishing a peer-review process appropriate for its needs. Requires the Director of the Office of Science and Technology Policy to provide annual reports regarding scientific integrity.
United States · United States Congress · 30 June 2005
Authorizes the Secretary of Education to award a grant to Teach For America, Inc. to implement and expand its program of recruiting, selecting, training, and supporting new teachers.
United States · United States Congress · 30 June 2005
ALS Registry Act - Amends the Public Health Service Act to require the Secretary of Health and Human Services, acting through the Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), to: (1) develop a system to collect data on amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS); and (2) establish a national registry for the collection and storage of ALS data. Requires the Secretary, acting through the Director, to establish the Advisory Committee on the National ALS Registry to study and make recommendations to the Secretary concerning: (1) the development and maintenance of the registry; (2) the type of information to be included; (3) the manner in which data is to be collected; (4) the use and availability of such data; and (5) the collection of information about diseases and disorders that primarily affect motor neurons that are considered essential to furthering the study and cure of ALS. Allows the Secretary, acting through the Director, to award grants to, and enter into contracts and cooperative agreements with, public or private nonprofit entities for the collection, analysis, and reporting of data on ALS. Requires the Secretary, acting through the Director, to: (1) identify, build upon, expand, and coordinate among existing data and surveillance systems, surveys, registries, and other federal public health and environmental infrastructure wherever possible; and (2) provide for public access to an electronic national database that accepts data from state registries, health care professionals, and others as recommended by the Advisory Committee in a manner that protects personal privacy. Requires the Secretary to ensure that epidemiological and other types of information is made available to the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and the Department of Veterans Affairs.
United States · United States Congress · 30 June 2005
Meat and Poultry Pathogen Reduction and Enforcement Act - Amends the Federal Meat Inspection Act and the Poultry Products Inspection Act, respectively, to direct the Secretary of Agriculture to prescribe: (1) surveys to determine foodborne pathogen contamination levels for raw meat and raw poultry, and meat and poultry products processed in establishments inspected under such Acts; (2) public health goals; and (3) initial and final pathogen reduction performance standards to reduce pathogen contamination and achieve public health goals. Directs the Secretary to: (1) identify, and publish a list of, such pathogens; (2) initiate pathogen surveys to determine existing levels of meat and poultry contamination; (3) establish public health goals and objectives to achieve foodborne illness reduction; and (4) report on the scientific feasibility of establishing health-based performance standards for pathogens. Directs the Secretary to establish a National Advisory Committee for Microbiology Criteria for Foods. Directs the Secretary to enforce Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point (HACCP) System requirements and other sanitation requirements in any official establishment. Authorizes the Secretary to prohibit non-complying establishments from labeling any meat or meat product, or poultry or poultry product, as "inspected and passed."
United States · United States Congress · 30 June 2005
Foster Care Mentoring Act of 2005 - Amends title IV part B (Child-Welfare Services) of the Social Security Act to direct the Secretary of Health and Human Services to award grants to states to support the establishment or expansion and operation of programs using networks of public and private community entities to provide mentoring for children in foster care. Authorizes a grant award directly to a political subdivision if the subdivision serves a substantial number of foster care youth. Prescribes program implementation guidelines, including: (1) application requirements; (2) training; (3) screening; (4) educational requirements; (5) federal and nonfederal share of funds for the program; (6) considerations in awarding grants; and (7) use of funds. Sets forth a maximum grant amount to be awarded to a state or political subdivision. Authorizes the Secretary to award a competitive grant to an eligible entity to establish a National Hotline Service or website to provide information to individuals interested in becoming mentors to youth in foster care. Instructs the Secretary of Education to implement a program to provide for the discharge or cancellation of the federal student loan indebtedness of an eligible mentor.
United States · United States Congress · 29 June 2005
Housing America's Workforce Act - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to allow employers a business tax credit for up to 50 percent of the qualified housing expenses paid for the benefit of their employees. Defines "qualified housing expenses" to include homeownership assistance and rental assistance. Limits the amount of such credit to the lesser of $10,000 or six percent of an employee's home purchase price, or up to $2,000 for rental assistance. Excludes from employee gross income the value of employer-paid housing assistance. Authorizes the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development to award grants in FY2006-FY2008, on a competitive basis, to nonprofit housing organizations or local governments for certain costs, including operating costs and technical assistance costs, of employer-assisted housing programs. Requires the Secretary to establish a national clearinghouse, including a website, to provide information about employer-assisted housing programs to federal, state, and local governments and other interested entities. Directs the Comptroller General to conduct a national evaluation of employer-assisted housing programs and provide to the Secretary an interim report by January 1, 2008, and final report by December 31, 2009.
![Official portrait of Sen. Durbin, Richard J. [D-IL]](https://www.congress.gov/img/member/d000563_200.jpg)